Michigan in the News

Juan Cole, Richard P. Mitchell Collegiate Professor of History, appeared on Australian Broadcasting Corp. Radio National's "Rear Vision," speaking about the current state of Middle East politics.

The Detroit Free Press quoted John Pottow, professor of law, on Ally Financial's decision to have its subsidiary Residential Capital file for bankruptcy, saying, "It is clear to me this is part of a housecleaning exercise."

Andrew Sell, membership coordinator of Matthaei Botanical Gardens and Nichols Arboretum, and Karen Sikkenga, the facility's associate director, spoke with AnnArbor.com about the reasons behind the increase in Matthaei-Nichols members.

Susan Carl, assistant manager at Bert’s Café, and Andrew Ginnard, a U-M student and barista at Bert's, evaluate several coffees during a workshop last week at the 2012 Michigan Coffee Conference hosted by University Unions at Pierpont Commons. The two-day event included national and local coffee experts and hands-on workshops covering such topics as trends in specialty drinks, roasting, fair trade, marketing, coffee cupping protocol, espresso preparations and latte art. (Photo by Laura Seagram, University Unions)

Connected-vehicle safety research shifts into high gear at UMTRIThe U-M Transportation Research Institute is embarking on the next step in a $22 million motor-vehicle safety research project, by equipping vehicles with devices that enable them to send and receive wireless messages that may someday prevent crashes. Nearly 3,000 cars, trucks and buses that spend time traveling in an area around northeast Ann Arbor will carry the connected-vehicle technology.

A season of twisters: A multimedia look at tornados in 2012Last year was one of the four most deadly U.S. tornado seasons on record. Looking like an early contender for the top three, 2012 already has seen a swath of destruction from Texas to Michigan. A digital multimedia experience gallery prepared by the College of Engineering offers a look at the looming threat.

The Michigan Difference

From homegrown to smartphone
Food banks are known for often lacking fresh produce, instead opting for shelf-stable, non-perishable foods. An article in LSA Today tells how U-M alumna Susan Evans and former LSA faculty member Peter Clarke want to help low-income families provide fresh, nutritious meals. For two decades they have worked to get fruits and vegetables into food banks. The final step in the mission: to show food bank clients ways to use all the fresh produce that is available. Evans and Clarke have developed a smartphone tool that customizes meal options for clients based on available produce.